West Bengal will regain lost glory: Pranab

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday expressed confidence that West Bengal would regain its "lost glory" and respect despite having fallen behind in many aspects since Independence.

"I am confident that although the state has temporarily fallen behind somewhat, it will regain its lost glory and earn its due respect," Mukherjee said while speaking against the motion at a debate on 'What India Can Do Today, Bengal Cannot,' organised here by a Bengali magazine.

He said it was no mean achievement for West Bengal to be the largest jute producer in the country despite having lost its pre-eminent position in the sector after the partition of India. "The future of jute is bright."

Mukherjee pointed out that the three-tier Panchayati Raj system was conceptualised by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the lines of a similar system existing in West Bengal then.

"People of this state had realised that democracy cannot be strengthened only through the Parliament or the Assemblies, but that a strong panchayat system is also needed to take democracy to the grassroots," he said.

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